Dodo duds again, ACCC pounces and ISPs have started to filter the Australian Internet

On 7 May 2009 Computer World reported:

Dodo has been ordered to refund customers after charging almost double fees for plans advertised as free.
The discount telco was slapped with the penalty following an investigation by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) of its '"Free $29.90 Mobility Cap Plans" which promised customers a free Eee-PC, fuel or cash.
The regulator found the telco had deceived customers by advertising the gifts as free when comparable standard plans were up to $30 a month cheaper.......
Dodo has been blamed for a record spike in telecommunications complaints to the industry regulator, and was slapped with a $147,000 fine last last year for breaching the Do Not Call register.

According to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman 2008 Annual Report:

• We received 149 742 complaints, an almost 50 per cent increase on the year before.
• Each complaint raised one or more issues. This year we dealt with 268 645 issues
– a 61.0 per cent increase on the year before.
• Landline service issues increased by 77.7 per cent.
• Mobile service issues increased by 58.3 per cent.
• Internet service issues increased by 32.3 per cent.
• 91 per cent of the people who complained were consumers.
Eight per cent were small businesses.

Trying to decide on your next Internet provider?
Whirlpool hosts a number of forums and a Broadband Choice ISP Directory.

ISPs you might want to avoid just now because they are gearing up for the Rudd Governmnet live trial of its mandatory national censorship scheme:
Nelson Bay Online, OMNIConnect, Primus Communications, Highway 1, Netforce, Webshield, Optus and Tech2U (most will be starting to filter by 8-11 May 2009 and last already filtering).

An idea whose time has come?

After chocking on fumes behind an old slow ute on the road this week, my thoughts turned to new vehicles.

I was pleased to note that US Democrats are considering a cash for clunkers program.
The US House proposal doesn't go far enough but the Senate version is much better in that the replacement car must get 25% more mileage for fuel consumed than the clunker it replaces.

Australia does not appear to be giving serious thought to a buyback of old energy inefficient cars scheme.
Instead the Rudd Government plans to give billions to the big car manufacturers in the hope that they will increase the production of green cars.

For every litre of petrol used in a motor vehicle 2.5 kilograms of carbon dioxide is released from the exhaust according to an Australian Energy Web Fact Sheet.

Perhaps it is time that the Federal Government considered a true consumer-driven response to greenhouse gas reduction and ran a pilot program of 'cash for clunkers' in Australia.

Here is an NRMA list of fuel efficient car makes and models based on a 5.5 litre per 100kms threshold:

Make	Model	Variant	Body Style	Engine Displacement	Year
Audi	A3	Sportback 1.9 TDi e (8P)	5 door hatchback	1.9TD	2008 - current
Citroen	Berlingo	II HDi (M59)	2 Door Panelvan	1.6TD	2008 - current
Citroen	C3	HDi Exclusive	5 door hatchback	1.6TD	2007 - current
Citroen	C4	SX 1.6 HDi	5 door hatchback	1.6TD	2006 - current
Citroen	C4	SX 1.6 HDi EGS	5 door hatchback	1.6TD	2007 - current
Daihatsu	Charade	All	3 door hatchback	1.0L	2003 - 2005
Daihatsu	Sirion	All	5 door hatchback	1.0L	2002 - 2005
Fiat	500	Lounge	3 door hatchback	1.3TD	2008 - current
Fiat	500	Pop	3 door hatchback	1.2L	2008 - current
Fiat	500	Pop	3 door hatchback	1.3TD	2008 - current
Fiat	Punto	Dynamic	5 door hatchback	1.3TD	2006 - current
Fiat	Punto	Emotion	5 door hatchback	1.9TD	2006 - current
Honda	Civic	Hybrid (7th gen)	4 door sedan	1.3L hybrid	2004 - 2006
Honda	Civic	Hybrid (8th gen)	4 door sedan	1.3L hybrid	2006 - 2007
Honda	Civic	Hybrid (8th gen MY07)	4 door sedan	1.3L hybrid	2007 - current
Honda	Insight	Hybrid	3 door hatchback	1.0L hybrid	2001 - 2004
Hyundai	i30	SX CRDI (FD)	5 door hatchback	1.6TD	2007 - current
Hyundai	i30	SLX CRDI (FD MY09)	5 door hatchback	1.6TD	2007 - current
Hyundai	i30	SLX CRDI (FD)	5 door hatchback	1.6TD	2007 - current
Hyundai	i30	SLX CRDI (FD MY09)	5 door hatchback	1.6TD	2007 - current
Hyundai	i30cw	SX CRDI (FD)	4 door wagon	1.6TD	2009 - current
Mercedes-Benz	A180 CDI	Avantgarde	5 door hatchback	2.0TD	2008 - current
Mercedes-Benz	A180 CDI	Classic	5 door hatchback	2.0TD	2008 - current
Mercedes-Benz	A180 CDI	Elegance	5 door hatchback	2.0TD	2008 - current
Peugeot	207	XT HDI	3 door hatchback	1.6TD	2007 - current
Peugeot	207	Le Mans HDi	3 door hatchback	1.6TD	2008 - current
Peugeot	207	XT Touring HDi	4 door wagon	1.6TD	2007 - current
Peugeot	307	XS HDI	5 door hatchback	1.6TD	2005 - 2008
Peugeot	307	XS HDI 1.6 Touring	4 door wagon	1.6TD	2005 - 2008
Peugeot	307	XSR HDI	5 door hatchback	1.6TD	2005 - 2005
Peugeot	307	XSR HDI Touring	4 door wagon	1.6TD	2005 - 2005
Peugeot	308	XS HDI	5 door hatchback	1.6TD	2008 - current
Renault	Kangoo	Integral (X76)	2 door van	1.5TD	2008 - current
Skoda	Roomster	1.9TDi (5J)	4 door hatchback	1.9TD	2007 - current
Smart	City Coupe	Pulse	2 door coupe	0.7TP	2003 - 2004
Smart	Cabriolet	Pulse	2 door cabriolet	0.7TP	2003 - 2004
Smart	Fortwo	Coupe	2 door coupe	0.7TP	2004 - 2008
Smart	Fortwo	Cabrio	2 door cabriolet	0.7TP	2004 - 2008
Smart	Fortwo	451	2 door coupe	1.0L	2008 - current
Smart	Fortwo	Turbo (451)	2 door coupe	1.0TP	2008 - current
Smart	Fortwo	Cabrio (451)	2 door convertible	1.0L	2008 - current
Smart	Fortwo	Cabrio Turbo (451)	2 door convertible	1.0TP	2008 - current
Smart	Roadster	All	2 door convertible	0.7TD	2003 - 2007
Toyota	Prius	Hybrid	5 door hatchback	1.5L hybrid	2003 - current
Toyota	Prius	I-Tech Hybrid	5 door hatchback	1.5L hybrid	2003 - current
Volkswagen	Beetle	TDI	3 door hatchback	1.9TD	2005 - current
Volkswagen	Golf	1.9TDI Comfortline	5 door hatchback	1.9TD	2004 - 2008
Volkswagen	Golf	1.9TDI Trendline	5 door hatchback	1.9TD	2004 - 2008
Volkswagen	Golf	1.9TDI Edition	5 door hatchback	1.9TD	2008 - current
Volkswagen	Polo	TDI	5 door hatchback	1.9TD	2005 - 2008
Volkswagen	Polo	Pacific TDI	5 door hatchback	1.9TD	2008 - current

Conroy's brown shirts are at it again............

Last Monday from Electronic Frontiers Australia*:
"Today EFA’s hosting provider received a Final Link Deletion Notice from ACMA, requiring us to remove a link to a page that contains images of aborted foetuses from our website. We have complied with this notice because it exposes our host to fines of up to $11,000 per day that we do not remove the link."
Advice to EFA on Twitter is to create another page with a new link to this essentially political content website, as the received Link Deletion Notice only applies to the EFA page specifically mentioned in that Australian Communications and Media Authority notice.

Whack a mole, whack a mole, whack a mole..........

* Electronic Frontiers Australia Inc (EFA) is a non-profit national organisation concerned with the protection and promotion of the civil liberties of users of computer based communications systems and of those affected by their use. EFA was established in 1994, is independent of government and commerce, and is funded by membership subscriptions and donations from individuals and organisations with an altruistic interest in promoting civil liberties

Even in paradise housing is a problem

Whenever visitors to the NSW North Coast talk about their holidays here they speak of how lucky we are to live in all this scenic diversity and of course we are.

However, the beautiful settings often hide from view realities that we share with other parts of New South Wales.

Although homelessness is relatively low compared to the metropolitan centres, by December 2008 rents were between $195-$285 per week for a 2 bedroom flat and between $300-$370 for a 3 bedroom house, with Richmond-Tweed separate house rents being the highest in the state outside of Sydney and Northern Rivers vacancy rates being comparable with Sydney.

Housing stress continues to be an issue according to the Northern Rivers Social Development Council, with around 40,000 people in the Page and Richmond electorates having disposable household incomes below the NSW median point.










Northern Rivers Social Development Council Dec 08 regional housing data
Click on graph to enlarge

Housing affordability is a big issue for many North Coast pensioners and the rising number of unemployed.
One has to hope that in Tuesday's federal budget, the Treasurer has taken note of concerns that any increase in the pension base rate may be eaten up by immediate rent increases.

Turning full circle........

The Daily Examiner is developing a bit of a reputation for having an erratic approach to what letters to the editor it actually prints in its letters column.

Some regular correspondents get to bore on and on with the same inevitable punchline, while other more infrequent letter writers sometimes can't get a word in for long periods.

One such writer was contacted by the newspaper recently and asked to give a quote or two about his recent sporting successes.

I'm told he took great delight in telling the journalist that when The Daily Examiner started to publish his letters he would talk about his own sporting activities.

A politically incorrect look at Influenza A (H1N1)....

David's humour found at Care2

Waving a flag for the good economic news

A fall in unemployment, 237,300 new jobs in April and fairly decent overall retail trade figures since December last year.
Am I allowed to wave a flag in celebration? For a steady-handed Australian government and a sensible business sector which for the most part ignored the media hype about our imminent destruction in the global financial crisis and Opposition hysterics about stimulus packages.

Maudie's Ex
Yamba

Guest Speak is a North Coast Voices segment allowing serious or satirical comment from NSW Northern Rivers residents. Email ncvguestpeak at live dot com dot au to submit comment for consideration.